India's Headhunter Warriors Sever Past, Fret Over Future
NDTV
The Konyaks were the last to give up the age-old practice of severing enemies' heads in this remote, hilly and densely forested region close to the Myanmar border.
Once, the way to get ahead among India's Konyak warriors was by chopping off an enemy's skull. Today, the last survivors of a past age mourn the changing times -- and a new generation they see as soft.
At 90, Nokkho Konyak can barely see beyond a few feet, his facial tattoos marking him as a warrior are fading and his frail body needs support. But his eyes light up and his hands become animated when he talks about "those simpler times".
"We witnessed our brave elders cutting off enemies' heads and participated in many battles," he told AFP.
Mr Nokkho is a Konyak, a small but fierce and respected warrior community in northeastern India's Nagaland state.
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